Developing a new singer!

[Lisselys]

I was totally thinking about creating a bard in a non optimized party (A straight cleric, a straight TWF Warrior and a Paladin) as to give them the right opportunities and the right chances to become powerful and to not feel to useless the very moment I start to play a very optimized Wizard (Which, to be honest, has been my first choice, as I started the game developing a Gish and now, at level 3, I'm quite overshadowing the three of them)

What would be a good developing for such a bard, that should give the party the right support spells, while not being neither a blaster nor a debuffer, but just a buffer?

As for the flavour, which, FOR ME, is more important than every single aspect of the sheet, I was thinking about a musician that creates new songs and sounds with his magic while he sings them, being very climatic and exaggerated in ALL of his aspect:
Kind like someone who, during the most important fight, starts singing and playing with magic some very dramatic song like Lux Aeterna

Can you please help me? Thank you very much! :smallsmile:

[Greenish]

Melodic Casting (CM) allows you to cast spells (and use wands) while singing.

Lingering Song (CV) increases the duration of your music (after you stop singing).

Inspire Courage (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9830.0) is your basic tool.

[Lateral]

Virtuoso (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20011207) is a very nice prestige class for singing bards. If you're trying to avoid optimizing too much, then avoid Sublime Chord like the plague- just mentioning this now 'cause I'm sure it will come up.

[Akal Saris]

Check the Spell Compendium for tons of nice bard spells as well :)

Edit: By the way, a bard-paladin multiclass might fit very well into this group if you wanted to join either the cleric or the other paladin's orders. Bard-paladin tends to be a terrific combo with the right feats, and probably won't overshadow anyone either.